When to order it up
- Three trump, including a bower or the Ace, is usually enough. Two bowers and an off-suit Ace almost always is.
- Watch who gets the card. If your partner is dealing, the turned-up card ends up on your side, so you can call a little lighter. If an opponent is dealing, you're handing them a trump, so call a little heavier.
- An off-suit Ace is worth about a trick. An empty suit is worth something too, once you have two or more trump.
The dealer's discard
Throw away a lone low card in a side suit. That leaves you void, so you can trump that suit the first time it's led. Keep your Aces.
Leading
- If your team named trump and you hold the right bower, lead it to pull trump out of the other hands.
- Otherwise lead an off-suit Ace while it's still likely to win, before anyone runs out of that suit.
- Defending, lead from short suits so your partner can trump in.
Don't beat your partner
If your partner is already winning a trick with a card that won't be beaten, throw your lowest card. You'll need your trump later.
Going alone
Go alone when you can see all five tricks: both bowers, the Ace of trump and an off-suit Ace or two. Making it is worth 4 points, close to half a game. If you're not sure, call with your partner and settle for 1 or 2.